Austin
by softballcrazy
Summary: Life is going great for one of tree hills favorite couple, Brooke and Lucas. But when their son comes up sick, will they pull together or be torn apart?
1. Breaking down and telling Hailey

23-year-old Lucas Scott sat on the edge of his bed in the darkly lit room with his head in his hand. Over the past few years he'd been through a lot, some good, some bad, but a lot all the same. He thought back to a few years ago, back to when it all started. He'd just moved to Tree Hill and things were rough at first but then everything started working out. He met Brooke at one of Nathan's parties and he'd been in love with her ever since. After months of trying to get her attention, they finally started going out. Those were some of the best months of Lucas's life, until Brooke was out of town and he cheated on her with Peyton. Brooke had been devastated and Lucas felt like a total jackass, he'd crushed the woman he loved and he'd thought she'd never forgive him. Thankfully for him she did, but it took him almost two years to get her to see that he loved her and wanted to be with her. She finally came around spring of the Junior year and they'd been together ever since. They had a triple wedding with Nathan, Hailey, Jake, and Peyton at the beginning of their Senior year and Lucas couldn't remember what life was like without Brooke. Lucas and Nathan were made co-captains of the basketball team and they won the state championship that year. Brooke had been cheering him on the entire time, with her over-decorated posters and her megaphone, god how he loved her. Things couldn't have been better, only Brooke wanted a baby. So they tried and tried for what seemed like forever until finally Brooke conceived, but the heartbreak struck three weeks later when Brooke miscarried. He'd remembered that she'd been devastated and the second time was even worst. It was until she conceived for the third time that the pregnancy was brought to term and she gave birth to their son, Austin Michael. After he was born things seemed like they couldn't go wrong, Lucas, Jake, and Nathan all signed with the Lakers, Hailey and Nathan had Caleb, all three of them bought house in the same neighborhood, and Peyton was due in January. Yep, everything was going great. Yea, that's what Lucas had thought up until about three days ago. Austin had been getting sick a lot lately and when him and Caleb would play together he was always getting big bruises that never seemed to go away, so they finally decided to take him to the doctor. After hours of test and countless hours of waiting, the doctor finally came back in. "Mr. and Mrs. Scott, I'm sorry but your son has Leukemia." Dr. Fitzgerald announced. Brooke's knees buckled and he remembered catching her and slumping to the floor crying. She'd been crying the question that hadn't left his mind since the doctor gave them the news, "Why him? He's just a baby." Lucas hated god at the moment, how could he of allowed this to happen to his son. Austin was only 4, he didn't deserve this. Lucas lifted his head up and saw the picture he always kept with him starring at him. He picked it up, it was a family photo, one of him, Brooke, and Austin. He couldn't' take his eyes off his little boy, he looked just like his mother except he had Lucas's baby blue eyes. Despite Austin's appearance, he acted nothing like Brooke, he was shy and only played with Caleb and a few other kids. That's when Lucas remembered why he'd come back to the house, so he could walk down the street and tell Hailey what had happened. Lucas slipped on his crocs and grabbed the closet thing to a t-shirt he could find and began walking to Hailey and Nathan's.

He reached the large white house and climbed the steps to the door. Lucas knocked softly and waited for someone to answer the door. The door creaked open and there stood Caleb, wide-eyed and happy to see his uncle. Lucas got down on his knee and pulled Caleb into a tremendous hug as tears started to roll down his cheeks. "Caleb, baby, who is it?" Hailey asked as she walked into the foyer drying a plate and saw Lucas holding Caleb and crying. Hailey tossed the plate onto the in table and race to Lucas and Caleb. "Lucas what is it!" Hailey screamed tearing her baby from his grips and examining him from head to toe for signs of injury. "He's fine, Hales." Lucas's cried, "It's Austin." All the screaming cause Nathan to come in from the backyard. "Hailey. What's all the scream for?" He asked entering the foyer to see Lucas crumbled on the ground and Hailey comforting him. "Caleb, go in the living room and watch cartoons." Nathan instructed as he bent down to try and see what was wrong with his brother. "What's wrong with Austin, Lucas?" Hailey had to know, Austin was like a son to her. "Lucas?" Nathan called him back to reality. "He's got Leukemia." Lucas wailed. "Nathan go get Caleb ready." She instructed, "We're going to the hospital."


	2. Precious last moments

Brooke sat at Austin's bedside with his fingers laced threw her own, she hadn't left his side since they'd found out was sick. How could this be happening to her little boy? For the life of her she couldn't figure out what had brought this on, she'd never drank when she was pregnant, she ate all the right food, she never even let him go outside with out a jacket, but still he here was, dying and sick in a hospital bed. Dying… she cursed herself in her head, she had said it again. 'He isn't going to die.' She told herself for the millionth time, she had to be positive; he was going to get better. She watched as he squirmed under the covers and his baby blue eyes flashed open, he looked so weak. Brooke flashed him a half smile and stroked his hair back, "Hey big boy." Her voice was uneven and quivering, as if she could bust out in tears at any moment. "Morning momma. Where's daddy?" Austin asked with a smile. "Don't worry he'll be here any minute now. He went to see Aunt Hailey and Uncle Nate so they would know that you're okay." Brooke placed a light kiss on his forehead. "Are they coming to see me!" The little boy asked bubbling with excitement. "I'm sure they wouldn't miss this for the world." Brooke reassured him, she knew Hailey and Nathan would come as soon as they heard. "Why don't you rest, that way you won't be sleepy when they get here." Brooke said pulling the covers up to his chin, lately he had no energy and that scared her because he was usually so active. But before Austin could even shut his eyes Lucas, Hailey, Nathan, and Caleb came in. "Daddy!" Austin cried throwing his arms around his father's neck as Lucas leaned down over the bed. "Hey baby." Lucas scooped his up and held him gently in his arms. "I love you daddy!" Austin said burying his head in his father's neck. "I love you too son." Lucas started to choke up. Nathan took a clue from Hailey and made his way over to Austin and Lucas, "Hey buddy. Want to come get some ice cream with Aunt Hailey and little Caleb?" Austin nodded and allowed Nathan to pick him up. "Bye mommy. Bye daddy." Austin waved as Nathan toted him out the door.

Brooke went and sat by Lucas who was completely in tears. "He's going to be okay." Brooke's tears had started trickling down her cheeks and she couldn't hold back anymore. "Our little boy is dying Brooke. Nothing will ever be okay." Lucas cried. "No Lucas, he's gonna make it. We just have to believe." Brooke said, but she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Lucas or herself. "He's dying Brooke! Austin is dying! Face it!" Lucas screamed, he'd finally reached his breaking point. He looked at Brooke, her face was cloud with her and her eyes were bursting with tears. "Face it?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, "Face it Lucas?" "Brooke, I didn't mean.." Lucas started but she cut him off. "No, you know what Lucas? I do face it, every time I look into our little boys eye! He's scared and he's confused and he doesn't understand that he's sick! But I do, okay Lucas! I do! So don't you sit there and tell ME that I need to face it. You need to face him!" Brooke yelled. "How can I face him Brooke? How can I look into his eye knowing that it could very well be the last time I ever get to see him? I mean how can I look at him knowing that every time he smiles at me or says I love you or calls me daddy, that it could be the last time? How Brooke?" Lucas rambled. "How are you going to live with yourself if your son dies and you've wasted these last few precious moment you had left with him? Could you? Because I couldn't." And with that Brooke grabbed her jacket and stormed out the door. Lucas sighed and pushed himself to his feet, "Brooke wait."

Hailey and Nathan, each with a child in hand, returned to find Austin's room empty. "Where'd they go?" Hailey asked as Nathan placed Austin in his bed. "I don't know." Nathan said as she laid sleeping Caleb on the couch, "I'll go see if I can find them." "Okay baby, and I'll keep and eye on the boys." Hailey said embracing him in a gigantic hug.

Hailey turned back to face their little boys, each one had two sets of loving parents and both looked so much alike. Her heart felt heavy and depressed, she felt as if she was losing her own son but in truth she was, because Austin is her god-baby and so much more. The doctors had given him two weeks at the most because of what stage the cancer was in and that's when it finally sank in. He was going to die, the doctors had no cure for this stage or even a treatment. "Austin." Hailey ran her fingers threw his hair, "I love you baby." She felt him stir under her touch before he began coughing violently. Hailey panic and hit the nurses button…..there was just so much blood.

Nathan had found Brooke and Lucas down in the lobby and the three of them started walking back to the room. They were almost there when Brooke saw a group of nurses and doctors rushing into Austin's room. She took off with Lucas and Nathan right on her heels. When they reached his room, Brooke could hear the monitor flat-line. "Austin!" She screamed as the tearing began falling down her face and she tried to get to him. Lucas grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back away from the doctors and their lifeless son, he didn't want her to see him like that. She fought him for a minute before finally just collapsing in his arms_. My baby's gone_.


End file.
